Illness Explorer is specifically written to help those who want to work at their health problems at home on their own.
Illness Explorer is really like a detailed self-help book. The Routes are based on the information and exercises we have found helpful to many people we have worked with over the years. But now we offer it as a resource which you have to use on your own.
So why might it be helpful?
Of the people we see with physical problems, in whom ‘story’ appears to be important, approximately half seem to do well just by recognizing some of the connections. This group will do best with Illness Explorer.
Indeed some of you doing the software to this present stage will have started to do well just by working through the material so far.
About a third of the people we see seem to need more than this.
Illness Explorer creates a pathway which supports both groups and especially those who struggle a bit more to come to grips with the relationships between their health problem and their story.
But there are many people who discover they really need to do this work with the help of a clinician or health worker. It is really hard to predict at the beginning who is in which group. But if you do proceed, and then find yourself needing the help of a health professional, don’t worry.
Be careful though who you choose to accompany you—realistically it would be difficult to get understanding and supportive help from a professional who is doubtful about the importance of story in physical illness.
